People want to change their lives. They want to change other people’s lives, too. They want to change the injustices they see. They want to change the whole damn world. But they do not want to change themselves. (Not their image. Not their appearance. Not their worldly success. Themselves.) Which is, as it turns out, the one thing they can change. The one thing that must change first.

كثيرون يفكرون في تغيير العالم لكن لا أحد يفكر في تغيير نفسه.

What we can and should change is ourselves: our impatience, our egoism (including intellectual egoism), our sense of injury, our lack of love and forbearance. I regard every other attempt to change the world, even if it springs from the best intentions, as futile.

It is much more important to be oneself than anything else. Do not dream of influencing other people...Think of things in themselves.

People want to change everything and, at the same time, want it all to remain the same.

I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself.

If you want to change the world, start with yourself.

have you noticed that when you feel the urge to change someone, what you really want is for them to behave more like you?

It’s vital to remember that you can’t change others unless they want to change themselves. You can influence them and facilitate change, but you can’t make them change. And they’ll only decide to change when they have an incentive – such as a better life or a better relationship with you. If they don’t identify a problem with their way of being, they won’t be motivated to change.

Try to realize it's all within yourself no one else can make you change, and to see you're only very small and life flows on within you and without you.

You don't need to change the world; you need to change yourself.

People think you want them to do something or say something special...you don't. You just want them to be themselves, so you can be yourself.

That becomes the revolution, to be idealistic enough that you think you can change the world, and what you find is you can't change anything but yourself.

If others feel they have to change you, that means they really don't love you
just the way you are. So why be with someone if you're not the way he or she wants you to be?